More than $296 million in fast tracked new funding has flowed to regional NSW councils to repair roads and transport infrastructure damaged during natural disasters in just three months.
The money flowed between April and June after the NSW Labor Government announced the delivery of a series of new pilot funding agreements between councils, the NSW Reconstruction Authority and Transport for NSW.
Before the introduction of Tripartite Agreements, Councils had to spend their own money repairing infrastructure before they could reimbursed with the disaster funding which has come from the Australian and NSW Governments through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
In March eight councils signed up to the NSW Government’s new disaster funding Tripartite Agreement pilot, enabling them to access advance funding at the beginning of each stage of reconstruction works.
The Tripartite Agreements mean less financial pressure on councils, faster repairs for communities after natural disasters and better collaboration between state and local government agencies.
Following the success of the initial pilot Tripartite Agreements, the NSW Government signed up more councils to help them unlock faster funding.
Under tranche two of the program, eight councils have already signed up and three more councils are in the process of signing up.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:
“When a region is hit by a natural disaster, the last thing councils need to worry about is coming up with the cash to restore essential road and transport infrastructure.
“The new pilot agreement the NSW Government has struck with councils will now help more councils get on with the job faster, knowing they have the funds they will so desperately need.”
Media Release: NSW Government
